Reimagining Energy: People-First Clean Energy Systems
In a deeply reflective and action-driven panel, Gauri Singh, Stephanie Jones, Dr. Jai Asundi, and Svati Bhogle, moderated by Huda Jaffer, discuss the critical need to shift how we approach clean energy. Instead of supply- or technology-centric models, the discussion centered on how to reframe the energy debate by placing communities, end-users, and localized systems at the forefront. The speakers emphasized the difference between designing for people versus designing with people, sharing personal and institutional failures that underline why this shift in gaze is essential.
Drawing from real-world experiences from decentralized renewable energy policy failures to flawed rooftop solar initiatives in Bangalore, the panel explored why scaling fails when the ecosystem isn’t aligned, when collaboration is missing, and when user context is ignored. Gauri Singh candidly exposed failures in government-led implementation due to overdesign and poor listening, while Dr. Asundi spoke about how academic success metrics often stifle real innovation and risk-taking. Stephanie Jones highlighted how philanthropy must rethink funding frameworks that pit partners against each other and ignore system-wide learning.
The speakers urged for clean energy transitions that are deeply embedded in communities – locally owned, managed, and contextual. A key takeaway was that failure is inevitable but essential, and it must be embraced, published, and learned from. If the future of clean energy must be inclusive and environmentally sustainable, then it must also be designed through humility, collaboration, and radical listening to those it is meant to serve.
